The Xylok's Daughter
by CrystallineNeptune
Summary: Sarah Jane is gone. Luke elected as leader and the others finding their true selves, the Bannerman Road gang have dubbed themselves 'The Infinite Circle', and begin a fresh start. But who's the sardonic, perplex girl that's moved in with the couple at number 14? And why does she seem so... awkwardly familiar? Rated T for language, violence and dark themes. BRI Pilot. Please R&R!
1. Prologue

A mysterious crystal remained in a complex laboratory of machinery, with many computer screens that showed patterns of a strange fashion.

"They're reacting to it," the voice of one of the scientists whispered from behind glass. "Whenever it goes near technology, the technology begins to respond in a way it wouldn't usually."

"Where did the geologists find it again?" another scientist asked.

"They say it came from the outside of Earth's crust," a third voice replied.

The fourth scientist watched the computers as the neon colours flickered across the screens. The crystal shone in the light, leaving the scientist in a reverie for quite a while, until returning to reality after hearing the voices of his colleagues.

"Are there other specimen we could maybe test on?" he chipped in.

The first scientist shook his head. "If there were, they would be too far underground for any of our equipment to reach for," he murmured. "However, there have been rumours of one being found before this sample."

"Well, where is it then?"

"Look, it's just a rumour, but here's what's been said by the other Lab-boys: those business-taking geologists found a crystal just like this a few years ago. They couldn't identify the mineral, so sent it to a member of the Unified Task Force to study. Yep - we didn't get a look-in at all! The UNIT member hasn't sent back the crystal though..."

"Probably because the results were so astonishing." the second scientist suggested, and the rest nodded in agreement.

The third scientist studied the crystal through her glasses. "You don't suppose it's alive, do you?" she frowned. There was a moment of silence, then the others laughed.

"Don't be daft now," one of them chortled. "I know this is a weird occurrence, but there must be a logical explanation for this rock to be affecting the machinery, other than it being ALIVE."

"But-"

That's when the lights went out.

"Powercut?" a scientist yelled in the darkness.

"Well, I'm not surprised really, we had it coming. The amount of power that damned mineral was using..."

"Aw, crap! Now what?"

There was a loud shrieking noise of an alarm, and the room went red from the flashing of the alert bulb above. The overpowering sound of engines filled the air before there was a crashing, and sudden footsteps heading out of the room, footsteps which did not belong to any of the workers.

"Run after it!" the female assistant exclaimed, as the rest followed on behind her. They blasted open the door and paced around sharp edges and long corridors before finally cornering whatever it was they were chasing through the racket of the resonating alarm with thanks to a dead end.

A girl, with long, black locks which fell down her back like a waterfall, and eyes revealing an array of what seemed like red arithmetic through cold, blue irises, attempted to stand, a callous look upon her features.

"It can't b-" one of the male scientists began to shout.

But before he could finish, a pulsing, dark energy cloud surrounded the five them, and hurled the scientists violently towards the wall in front.

As one failed to get back up onto his feet, the girl snatched a pistol which stuck out from under his labcoat, bringing himself and his colleagues to quick deaths with a few shots of hit and miss, before leaping out of the nearby window.

The escapee tumbled, flailing at the wet grass beneath her as she landed after the high fall. Cuts from the broken glass of the window grazed her skin, unprotected by the flimsy gown she wore, involuntarily. She was covered in blood, and losing it, still, at quite an worrying rate. The girl's heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline pumping through her body rapidly in the overwhelmingness of the situation.

Back in the testing area, it was as if a bomb had dropped. Everything was a in pile of debris, destroyed to a crisp. Beside this laboratory, was an empty cryogenic chamber, the seal smashed, smoke whirling from the electrical supply. And the crystal was gone. But where? Was it also destroyed, with everything else? Had the girl took it? Or rather...

...Had the crystal took itself?

A flicker of neon colours came upon the girl's black pupils. Forcing back the water that leaked from her eyes, blinking, the strange pigments went.

As did she.


	2. A Crystalline Being

_Amongst human beings, as soon as the word "extraterrestrial" is mentioned in the duration of a conversation, a majority would have the image of a monster invading the brain's thoughts - a green skinned creature with long tentacles, a bulging red eye for each slimy head of curved antennae. Yet, for some parts of the universe, this is a case if unlikely probability. My species are most certainly not your stereotypical horror-film style aliens that simpleton mortals make a pointless commotion about._

_I am a Xylok._

_The Xylok are a crystalline life-form. Think of a collection of crystals from the length of your eyebrow to the end of your chin, approximately, then you have it. However, there is more that meets the eye. We are seen as the most intelligent species to live, sly also, and have a number of various skills. I could scan a person and know their background. I can detect emotions and illnesses on somebody, even of I cannot heal them, I can still state if it is curable or incurable. I may trap people in my mind and kill them there if I feel hostile, or contain them in a containment vortex, possibly teleporting them to another town, country, planet... If there were an asteroid heading towards the Earth, marking it and sending it in another direction is an easy task for me. But I am missing something important: The connection, communication and becoming of computers, which we are known for._

_Do I have weaknesses? Well of course, every true living entity does so. Due to my computer-like nature, I am vulnerable to modern day computer viruses, and if I was connected to the most clever of machines, a strong one could still wipe me out. Something we developed from our Kroton relatives was an abhorrence to sunlight. As if a vampire, the sun will affect me in a bad way, giving me terrible vision. For that reason, I am more partial for the nighttime, and stay inside as much as I can._

_Am I immortal? No. That is something I know. Xylok death rates are something that is existent, but we do have an extremely long life expectancy. I have been here since a few million BC back, now is the 21st century. The sights I have seen are beyond your imagination._

_My race crashed to Earth 60million BC. Memories before the crisis have vanished from my mind. I may have been a few weeks old, young. It took so long for us to adapt to the new environment, the environment we would have to call home for as long as our kind would strive. So many lives were lost. One of them lives belonged to my dear mother , whom I only know from my father's stories. My father. He was all I had. Parent wise of course, also friend wise and teacher wise too. He taught me all about the universe and what had been occurring on top of my common knowledge. Trapped underground, Father had reassured me that sometime in the future he was going to escape and release the Xylok, taking me with him and letting me experience life in the open. For this was the purpose he was destined to fulfil. Purpose is the core of belief for our species, something we live by. It came to me that of it were to carry on like this, hope in the horizon, maybe things wouldn't be as bad as I thought._

_Then it happened. The eruption of Mount Krakatoa in the 1883. Father had went missing. There had been a tremendous population drop because of the eruption's occurrences, however, those bodies had all been uncovered and found. My father's was not. Nobody knew where he went. After a massive search he was declared dead, nevertheless I deny it still today. Something about his abnormal disappearance told me it was a deliberate hint he had reached the surface above. Like how I have now._

_Back in those dark ages, I had thought that my purpose would be to fend for myself, living in fear on a distant star, a distant star we were to call home for the rest of eternity. Ah. Generations of being surrounded in great anguish, comes an earthquake of pure violence, setting me free at last from the dolor of the core._

_My name is Seraphine Alristar. I have a purpose. Releasing the Xylok from their agony, and to find my absent father. With the assistance of this human form I inhabited through technological systems, I shall intend on achieving my purpose in under a month. And I am not afraid to harm in order to get what I need._

_This is where the apologue will commence._

0oooo0

A Victorian-style house set in the middle of a picturesque road, lined with similar, doll-house buildings of equal beauty. There are tailored curtains tucked behind the glass of the windows, the house decorated with carved shapes in the wood and trickling ivy, flowers blooming. A painted staircase leads to the door that you entered the building through.

This was where I am now living. For I have been collected by a human couple a day previously. The woman, Bronwyn Drakes, is a round, middle-aged American lady with short brown hair cut in a bob and almond-shaped, grey eyes. She is a curious woman of questions galore, and seems to want to know every minuscule thing about everyone she is around. Her husband, Aaron Drakes, is a timid British man with blonde hair and green eyes whom keeps his face buried deep within the daily newspaper or sits with a pint of Guinness watching football on his arse all day while his wife goes to work.

"Home is where the heart is," Bronwyn tells me as she parks the car in the drive, and stops the engine when she feels it is in a good place. "Bannerman Road. We're at number 14. Pretty cool, huh? Just missed gettin' the unlucky number." She laughs, awkwardly.

I open the car door after my new parents. The neighbourhood truly is astonishing; I notice it's wonderful details better from outside the vehicle. I follow Bronwyn and Aaron inside. They give me a quick tour, and Browyn tells me if I need anything, to just call.

"I hope it's not too quick," Brownyn remarks suddenly. "But you be startin' school next week. The uniform shoul' be delivered sometime tomorrow. After work, I'll pick up the other things you'll need. That ok?"

I simply nod back. Great. I was going to have to spend a total of 30 hours a week with obnoxious human teenagers being taught about how to survive in their idiotic world.

I knew this was coming though, and if going to a human high school was going to help me blend in whilst plotting my plan to fulfil my purpose, then it was something I was willing to do.


	3. Confliction

The weekend has come and gone swiftly, and the time has finally come to enter a zoo of adolescent hominids.

Bronwyn was the first to find my uniform beneath the letterbox Saturday morning, and forced me to get into it almost immediately. I attempted to mask the cuts and grazes that covered my skin from breaking free of confinement in The London Underground Laboratory not that long ago. The clothing consisted of a dark green blazer, with a dark green skirt to match and white blouse, a stripped green tie around my neck, green socks and black shoes which Bronwyn had brought me when she had finished her work-shift. It was not the baddest outfit I had seen in my lifetime, but I found it not very comfortable.

Said adoptive mother drived me to school in her Renault Scenic at the week's start, and tried to give me what is known as 'a peck on the cheek' before I departed from her side. I make a bad attempt at not recoiling. There is not a single way in this universe I would ever let a human do such to me.

Bronwyn smiled faintly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn' have been so insensitive," she told me. "I un'erstan' this is all new for you. But change is good sometimes, y'know? I know it'll take time, an' I won't rush you to settle, though. I want you to be able to trust us, sweetie. Try and have a good day. I'll pick you up at 3."

With that, she drove off. I peered up at the futuristic, glass building before me, much more advanced-appearing than all the houses of Bannerman Road and the other roads combined. Park Vale Comprehensive. Judging the structure, it must have been beyond the average expenses to run the education services smoothly. The building covers a vast amount of land, standing tall and proud amongst the sardines of teenagers and young adults that filter through in and out the doors each day.

I enter, and start to walk to my first lesson, keeping my head high and not worrying about the lower-class beings that watch my every step. Lockers slam. Feet scuffle across the floors. The incoherent chatter resonates. A strange bell rings, symbolising it is time for the school day to begin. This is when the crowding really starts. Everyone is barging each other out of the way, cursing in a rush to get to first lesson. I am being shoved by rude incompetents behind me. My timetable reads that my first lesson is Social Studies in a room named A4. Luckily for me, the room is around the corner, so without hesitation, run towards it.

The lesson commenced once the whole class had arrived. The teacher, Mr Rhine, was a man fresh from university with a black birds nest for hair, not literally of course. He asked me to introduce myself to the other pupils, and say a bit about myself. I told them my alias, and that was all. In my human disguise, I go under the name Cody Drakes - Drakes being the last name of my recently acquired foster parents.

"Well, Cody, there's a space other by Rani, there. Other by the whiteboard, that's right."

I made my way to the desk next to the girl Mr Rhine was pointing to. She was, like the headmaster, from Indian culture, and from the results of my 5 second quick scan, I found out they were actually father and daughter. You could tell even if you couldn't scan to find out. They look tremendously similar.

"Hi there." Rani flashed me a reassuring beam.

I tried to smile back, but this is was first time I had ever used these muscles in my human morph, so it turns out like a twisted grimace. I sat down in my assigned seat.

"We're learning about Historical Instances of Dictation," Rani told me, and rolled her eyes. "It's ok, I guess. But I don't really like Citizenship, it's not my cup of tea. Journalism, now that's interesting. Media Studies. LOVE Media..."

I'm not actually listening as I get out my belongings. Does this trivia matter to me in the first place? No. It does not. For I have my own business I need to attend to.

Mr Rhine does not have a single care in the world for his teaching. He drones on and on, peering over at the time every ten minutes. I do not need to look at the clock for the time. I just check the satellites. While the teacher lets out a loud yawn as he points to the presentation on the whiteboard, I begin to shut the blinds, for the sun is affecting my senses and focus. Mr Rhine pauses his speech at the shutter noise, turning my way, everyone in the class copying him.

"I see you're busy there, Cody," he raises his voice. "Can you answer me the question on the board, please, instead of amusing yourself with school property?"

I dislike the way he has spoken to me, but analyse what is on the board. The question asks me to give my opinion on the British Empire. I clear my throat, bringing forward the UK English Dictionary to mind's front.

"The British Empire..." From uttering first my true words in the midst of this almost awkward classroom silence, I am aware that my voice is expressed in low tones, indeed deep for a young woman, and words are spoken in strong, Received Pronunciation. This revelation shakes me for a moment, but I carry on.

"... I believe The British Empire... Was a glorious dictatorship."

The room stays silent.

Mr Rhine raises an eyebrow, breaking the beautiful absence of sound after a few seconds pass. "So you agree with the outrageous treatment towards many of those under their power?" Next to me, Rani seems intrigued.

Staring directly back at Mr Rhine, I flex my fingers. "I do not agree, yet I do not disagree either way. I would just accept those whom are in power - as powers that are not a democracy, are known to take extreme charge over those beneath them."

Mr Rhine fold his arms. "What school did you attend before coming here?" he asks.

My father comes to thought. "...The education I received previously is not the topic of discussion here."

"Miss Drakes, it seems you have a problem concerning where you stand." Mr Rhine replies.

I place my hands on the table. "I may do so. I may not. It depends, I guess."

Mr Rhine frowns. "On what?"

"Whether whom is in charge is a fool." I spit. A smile surfaces my lips, the shard of crystal for which failed to shift itself during my metamorphosis creeping into view, like an overgrown canine tooth.

One of his eyes twitches angrily, but instead of withstanding his newly-found status, he moves on to the rest of the class.

After the lesson, another bell rings, indicating it is time to go to next lesson. When the class is dismissed, Mr Rhine orders me to stay behind, gesturing me to his desk. Rani has said she'll wait outside for me.

"Is something the matter, Sir?" I ask, nevertheless I know that there must be.

Mr Rhine sips his flask of coffee. "I hope you understand why I'm upset."

I frown, yet again using muscles I hadn't before. "Because in my first lesson, I show my viewpoint like no other student, which you fail to understand."

"It's your attitude."

"I do not have an attitude," I reply sternly. "You do not know me; I have only been here an hour. If you knew me as myself, and not a teenaged brat, you would..." I pause, leaning in. "... You would value... My knowledge. You would value my knowledge and my views on many... On many..." I fault due to the language barrier. "... Things."

"You think you're so smart," Mr Rhine snaps.

"I do not think it, Sir. I can assure you..." I taunt, starting to walk out. He tells me to come back.

"What grade do you want at the end of this term?" the teacher scorns. "As this is not a good start."

I squint my eyes at him, a fake grin spreading across my face. "I... I am sure you will give me a decent grade, Mr Rhine... I am." I twirl a loose strand I find of my hair. "...That's if you don't die of liver damage beforehand, however."

I see Mr Rhine's pupils shrink, and a blatant lie crosses his lips. "I'm not a drinker," he gulps, as I take another whiff of his breath. His fingers quiver.

"And I am not honestly caring about my results," I mutter, as I turn away.

With that, I leave, and join Rani outside.


	4. Strange Resemblances

It is now the fifteen minute break, which Rani has told me occurs every day at the school. We sit at a wooden bench under a parasol, set up outdoors. The trees blow in the soft breeze, as the leaves fly across the air. The cloud count is around 6 Oktas, meaning a good probability rain may be summoned by the clouds sometime this afternoon. Whilst taking in this information, I sense somebody approaching behind us.

"Hey. Ok if I come and sit with you girlies?"

Rani and I turn around. There stands a male, of our year group, with dark skin and warm, brown eyes. He smiles with almost perfect teeth, and even though he has not yet received permission to join us, he climbs onto the bench anyway.

"No, of course not," Rani retorts, sarcastically. "Yes, come on. Sit down."

The boy continues to wear his exaggerated grin, and his attention switches to me. "New girl, yeah? 'Heard you called old Rhinoceros Man a fool in Social. Aww, maaaan - don't want to get on his bad side. You're not going to hear the end of it, now. 'Cos once Rhino has a justified reason to be bias against you for showing him up, you're going to DREAD his lessons. I won't be surprised if he gets a detention slip delivered to you by the end of the day."

"Look who's talking!" Rani tittered. "Clyde, you're such a hypocrite. Since when did you care about being good in lessons? Everyone in the year knows you as a trouble maker!" she pinched one of his cheeks.

He tries to resist a laugh, and offers his hand to me. "Clyde Langer," he says. "Comedy Relief Extraordinare."

I shake his hand. "... Se- Cody. Cody Drakes," I respond, careful not to expose my true name. "Your grip is strong."

Clyde lets go, and stands up from his space, and tenses his arm muscles. "All this working out!" he exclaims. Rani covers her face with her palm, going red, in stitches.

As the break continues, it is clear that him and Rani share a strong chemistry together - my evidence is all in the showing public affection, like hugging and giggling, sharing crisps, as well as the way Clyde tries to portray a person of no weakness, and the way Rani's voice goes peculiarly higher than usual.

"Omnomnom," Clyde interprets the noise of chewing when he digests another one of her Cheese and Onion crisps. "You are deeeeelicious!" he turns to Rani who erupts into more laughter. Human Love. I am not one for romance. It seems a waste of precious time when there are other important values to spend life on, a example of this would be purpose fulfilment. I decide to begin building up a plot while I consume a jam sandwich Bronwyn has packed in my bag.

From the information on my rota, the upcoming lesson is Geography. Rani and Clyde decide to check their timetables, however, Clyde does not look so pleased at the news.

"Homework!" he exclaims so the whole sea of humans on the grounds can hear. "Oh damn, that's another hour after school."

Rain rolls her eyes. "Clyde! We've had a week!" she groans. "You've still got a few minutes, go to the Computer Suite!" They gather their belongings and begin to head towards the building. "Cody, we're just going to be down the Tech corridor, at the front of the school."

"What is going on?" I query.

"Clyde needs to do his homework," Rani explains, giving him a glare of irritation. "Which he still hasn't done after three warnings."

The bolshy adolescent shrugs in response. "What? I have a busy lifestyle, no time to sit down and complete some sheets of writing when we have other matters in our hands, know what I mean, Rani?" he winks, and she sighs. This is a private joke, one which I cannot get involved in.

"Maybe I can give you some assistance in the attainment of these writing sheets?" I offer. The lovers turn around.

"Oh, really?" Clyde crows.

I tilt my head in return. "Positive." I am sure a little entertainment will not harm.

"Okaaaay then, my little nerd," He declares, retaining his original seat on the bench, pouring out paperwork from his rucksack into my hands. "Which one would you like to do first?"

I analyse the questions that inhabit the sheet, saving them to my data and waiting for equations to summon the solutions.

"It depends. How can I be of most important assistance?"

Without a reason of knowing, Clyde shudders suddenly.

"Is something the problem?" I ask.

Clyde zones back to action almost immediately. "Urm, yeah. I mean, no, no," he replies. "Nah, just... That one." He points to the second sheet. "Just thinking... That one is ridiculous."

I narrow my eyes. "Clyde."

"What?"

"Something has bothered you."

His look seems distracted. "Just, your tone then. Never mind. Reminded me of someone."

I look over at Rani, who is holding the same expression on her face as her beloved.

"I do not understand," I proclaim.

"Again! Rani, did you hear that the second time? Or am I crazy?"

She nods in strong agreement. "You mean, she sounded a bit like M-"

I rise from my seat in concern. "Pardon?"

The two of them begin to settle down, seeing they have sent me in a kind of panic. Rani puts on a smile, at a failed attempt to get across that this is a minor matter. "Urm... yeah. Don't worry, Cody, it's pretty stupid really. You just reminded us of a...friend. Friend?"

Clyde shrugged.

"... Friend." Rani affirmed. "Ha. A shock, that's all. Since we didn't think you were capable of such a... serenely manner."

I decide to take it as a mistaken compliment. "Thank you?" My attention reverts back to the pile of homework Clyde has set me. "So... You're... You're not able to do any of this...yourself?"

He shrugs yet again, only this time, it's as if he's in deep thought.


	5. The Smiths

"First day at school - spill the beans!" Bronwyn tells me as we stop at another set of traffic lights. At first, I have a slight misapprehension of what she was trying to say, then it comes to me that to 'spill the beans' is human slang, meaning to 'confide a secret'.

"A day of difference," I retort, holding on tightly to my seatbelt as the light turns green again.

"Made any friends?"

The scenery is a blur that passes our transport, teenagers promenading home with their select group of colleagues. Houses of unique shapes and sizes flash past my sight, along with the occasional foliage. Having red vision partly covered in red numerical thoughts does not be of help when I am viewing my surroundings as if an everyday mortal, by reason of having everything I look at bury into a profile of the brain in scrutinization.

"Cody?"

I return to the reality of Earth upon hearing of Bronwyn's voice. "Yes?"

"I said, "have you made any friends yet?""

Rani and Clyde pass the window, chucking the puddles of mud on the pavement over each others backpacks. They both are laughing, how I witnessed them at break and lunch. "I presume I have."

Bronwyn circulates the roundabout and goes down the second exit. The way humans live their sad little lives is a burden, a burden that might never cure itself. If only Bronwyn knew the existence she COULD have, along with the other supposedly 'superior' blue planet members. Well. Nobody can worry when they are dead.

I rummaged through my blazer pocket for the slip of paper. It is not a detention slip, but another flyer of the school rules, identical to the one which we received in the post, alongside my uniform. Reminders of expectations are written in a bold, neat font, as if they are of gigantic importance. Screw that, I think. Did Bronwyn really have to know about this misunderstanding? It would just add to the stress which she claims to have due to the workplace getting awkward with overloading of sheets to fill and social communication endangered by the sound of a never-resting photocopier.

I slowly crease the telegram with my fist, prepared for its disposal back at the house. My thought tracks lead me back to Rani and Clyde. After break, they acted cautious, yet still talking to me between gaps of silence. Had I scared them tremendously so? I hoped different. Maybe they could help me somehow helped me, voluntarily or not, to achieve my goal.

The car shrieks to a stop as the Bannerman Road sign passes. I collect my bag and jump out into the autumn air, Browyn close behind me.

"Dear, you wouldn't mind doin' the gardenin' for me, would you? The clematis is growin' into a jungle, look."

Before I can answer, she grabs my belongings and heads inside. "Thank you! I'll quickly fetch the tools and you can get on; you're a STAR. Aaron, you lazy old dog! Do you know where the garden tools are? Cody's goin' to smarten up the front!"

I roll my eyes. The next minute you know, Bronwyn comes out again with two tool boxes, each of them approximately the size of half a human arm, and plonks them beside me. Then she returns indoors to probably have a chat with her husband, leaving me to it. I glare down at the toolboxes. I look back at the overgrown plant that stretches its way across the bricks like a spreading disease. It is in need of a makeover, most certainly. I open one of the toolboxes and lift out a pair of fine sheers, lunging at the green beast as it carries on trying to make its way to the window. Snap. Leaves begin to fall to the grass. Snap. Snap. I get a rhythm going. Computers work by a mathematical rhythm to carry out functions such as I. My rhythm commences to a higher level of intensity as I use my strength to cut the plant.

"You wouldn't mind if I just pop these through the letter box, do you?"

I turn to face where the voice has come from. Standing there, is a pale-looking, youthful male, his hair of a chestnut tint and eyes of an exquisite, hazel pigment. He is dressed smart in nylon trousers, a pale shirt and turquoise tie, complete with a protective pearl jacket and sable, polished plimsols - holding post in his delicate hands, with Aaron's name on it.

I move aside so the fellow can get pass. "Not at all," I reply.

"Thank you." He has light steps as he heads towards the door, and slips the post through a compartment. "We've always got their letters, you know. I guess it's because we live next door."

As the male is about to leave, Bronwyn peeks her head outside again.

"Luke!" she grins. "Hel-lo!"

The young man smiles. "Special delivery," he remarks. "How are you?"

"Great, thanks! What's this then, you in such a flatterin' attire, there?" Bronwyn goes over to squeeze one of the boy's cheeks. "Y'must be doin' well for yourself!" Luke laughs, trying to escape her pinch.

"I'm working for the Pharos Institute now," he explains. "I graduated from Oxford last month."

Bronwyn's jaw dropped nearly the most humanly possible that it could. "The Pharos Institute?!" she gasps. "That's really something, Smith! By golly, how much buck you on?"

Luke scratches his head. "Professor Rivers says I'll be on quite a salary by the summer." He keeps his confident smile. "But I'm already on a lot, I would say."

Bronwyn is clearly dumbfounded. "What about the girl?" she asks. "Sky, is it?"

"Sky's began to settle down too," Luke tells her.

"That's fantastic how well you guys are doin' for yourselves."

Her voice then drops suddenly, quiet and sincere. "I'm sorry we couldn't attend the funeral."

I witness a change in Luke, as the pupils of his eyes shrink and his lips quiver. That gleaming radiance of his personality seems to wither away like the petals of a flower in autumn.

"That's okay," he mumbles gravely in return. "I'm sure Mum would have understood."

Bronwyn lifts the door handle up, securing it's bolts, to ensure that it will not lock behind if she stepped out and it slammed in the wind. "We never saw your Mom much, did we? 'Guess the only times we could meet up were kinda inconvenient, her bein' a journalist, always busy an' all, me doin' the job I do. Aaron bein' a lazy dog. Sad, really. I liked her. But o' course, when you're talkin' 'bout cancer - can get anyone can't it...? Usually the good people..."

Realising how much the topic appeared to upset Luke, Bronwyn immediately shifted. "Oh, my apologies, sweetie! I didn't mean to knock you like that!" She reassuringly looks over to me. "Luke - this is my daughter, Cody. 'Adopted her last week. T'day was her first day at school."

Luke brightens up slightly. "Oh, I thought she was the gardener!" he exclaims.

Bronwyn snorts. "Lil' helper wanted to tidy up the place a smidge."

I didn't have a choice, I think.

"It's good to meet you, Cody," Luke tells me.

His attention returns to Bronwyn. "You said you didn't see us much. If it's alright with you all, we're free for you to drop by for a cup of tea later."

Bronwyn jumps from the hallway. "It would be good to catch up on everything," she agrees. "Is 7 ok?"

Luke nods. "That's fine. Well, urm, see you soon!" With that, he jogs back over to the neighbouring residence.

Browyn watched as Luke disappears around the corner. "I'll take it from here," she says whilst taking the sheers from my grip.

0oooooo0

"One sugar please," Aaron responds as he kicks back on the sofa of 13 Bannerman Road that evening.

Luke nods, that same smile on his face. "Coming right up."

I let my eyes gaze across the living room. The walls are cream, the sofas fit immaculately in their places, as the flickering flames and noise of soft crackling comes from the old-fashioned fireplace. A flat inch TV rested on a wooden shelf, the beige curtains hiding the beaming sunset outside. I spot a picture Luke standing by a younger girl of maybe twelve. They are with a - woman, showing expressions of contentment at the camera.

When Luke returns, she notices my staring. "That was Mum, and that's Sky," he states, and points to the woman, then the girl, giving me a cup of orange squash.

"The two of them looked very photogenic," I observe, sipping my drink. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Luke told me, taking a seat with the adults whilst passing them their tea.

They engage in conversation, discussing boring topics that older generations may become engrossed by, such as what colour they were going to paint their garden fence or how good/bad the weather is. Normal, earthly discussion. However, there is a strange aura surrounding this house's grounds - and now that I mention it, also surrounding the boy. A sense, not so normal. It intrigues me, yet, even for a creature of my mental stability, I cannot confirm the kind of oddity that fills the atmosphere, creeping under the majority of noses.

Don't be absurd, I think. It is highly unlikely he or this house are of another galaxy, but how can I feel this alien power on my scanners?

That's when I detect a small figure slowly approaching behind me.

I jump in my seat, letting out an accidental high-pitched squeak. Bronwyn, Aaron and Luke turn to my direction. They find this very amusing and continue to watch what is going on.

"Oh, the new neighbours are here," it says in an innocent, young voice, facing Luke for assurance that the correct term was used. It hits me that this is the girl from the photograph.

Aaron nods. "We're the amazing Drakes!" he boasts triumphantly. And what do you do other than suck up to the media all day? is the thought track that comes to me darkly.

Luke doesn't know whether to laugh or not, so he simply gives back a nervous smile.

"And the pretty little angel in the corner, there, you must be Sky!" Bronwyn exclaims in adoration of the girl who leaps to the other side of room, now hiding timidly behind her brother.

"I thought angels were dead people," Sky mumbled, worry in her tone.

Everyone cooed at her apparent 'cuteness' and let out light chuckles.

"...And angels can also be kind, beautiful people... at least that's what Mum told me after she called me an angel once," Luke told his sister. I want to scoff, but I do not, for such behaviour would make me drop to the maturity of a child.

The adults decide to continue with their topic, leaving Sky and I to make our own one amongst each other.

"I go to Park Vale too," Sky tells me. She lets out a chesty cough. "I have something that Rani calls a 'bad cold' so Luke said I could stay off until I feel ok again."

Seeing Sky's uncomfortableness around her acquaintances, Luke puts his arm around her. That same, weird vibe surrounds the two of them. As if they are not real... as if they were made artificially. When he engages in more discourse, I give him an origin scan. Which reveals quite a lot:

_**_Urm, hello. Who are you? I'm lost_I knew I had to get away_All I know is I had to run. Everyone. I am everyone. And then I had to run. The girl came, Maria, and then you_I was born running_**_

He was artificial. He was created by aliens. The Bane. An archetype, made from thousands of DNA samples...

Luke also starts to size ME up, as if HE was scanning ME. Of course, he could not do such a thing, what I mean is he gives me the same look as Rani and Clyde did. The way I talk to others, my tone, how I react. It seems to remind him of someone. It's not long before Sky points this out as well.

"Clyde _TOLD ME_ you were weird," she blurts. But what does this pint-sized individual have to criticise me for? When I scan her, results reveal that she too is genetically engineered. The two of them must have close contact with extraterrestrial life. This suddenly gives me a great feeling of fear. What of she finds out about who I am?

"You act like somebody we know and its really _STRANGE_." Sky adds.

"Who is this person?" I query in desperation.

Luke makes gestures with his hands, trying to calm me down. "Oh, urm, it's not that important really," he ushers. "Infact, not really worth mentioning-"

"Well, it was good to see you again," Bronwyn announces, as she tears herself away from the comfort of the sofa.

Luke cuts away from our conversation, and shakes Bronwyn's hand. "Nice to see you again," he echoes, opening the front door for us. The Drakes and I then proceed to exit the house. As I descend the doorstep, I glimpse a qualmish look on the young man's face.

A let out a sigh of relief as I touch the bed covers in my room. So I'm not the only peculiar being here. Well, that's just great. From the events of today, I am aware I need to take much more caution, especially around these people.

For all I know, they could be alien hunters - and I might be their next victim.


	6. Of Minimal Convenience

**THIRD PERSON POV**

"Luke, I have detected alchemistic traces of extraterrestrial life in the house over the past twenty-four hours," a soothing, masculine voice alerted within the attic's breadth.

The consistent flicking of the daily newspaper came to a standstill when Luke bolted upright in his chair at the sudden announcement. He let it slip out of his hands as he turned to where the murmur had come from.

"There has?" he asked with impetuous trepidation.

The revolutionary computer suspired through the speakers. "Actually, this particular energy has been on my examiners for quite a few days now. I apologise for not acquainting you sooner, I thought it would be better for me to gather more knowledge on the basis of this...creature."

"The Drakes family from next door came round last night," Luke piped up. "They're absolute human though - Mum said she had known Bronwyn and Aaron for ages, and neither of them have anything to do with aliens."

Mr Smith was intrigued. "Is there a new element in their household at all?"

Luke hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Mr Smith...an adopted daughter. She moved in Friday."

"Would you like me to perform an analysis?"

"It would be a good idea. Her name was... Cody? Cody."

"Accessing data base of 'Cody Drakes."

Luke stuck his face back behind the paper again, just like how he remembered Sarah Jane did, as Mr Smith began to run a few tests. He knew it would take a reasonable amount of patience to wait for the results, as Mr Smith liked to take his time, ensuring the data found was effective and accurate as can be. An interesting headline caught Luke's attention. He decided to read the lengthily story underneath.

"Scan at 98 per cen-" Mr Smith began to say after 10 minutes, but stopped. Instead, he let out a noise which sounded like a cough, and settled down into an awkward silence, computing something to mind, processing what may have been an astounding piece of information.

Luke looked up again at the machine. "Is it nearly done?" he demanded. There was no reply. "Mr Smith? What's going on?"

The silence was eerie; it sent concern down his spine. "Oh well, I guess it's the scrap yard for you, if you don't have the ability to respond-"

That got a reaction.

Mr Smith snorted. "How would you protect Earth without me? That moronic mutt will not help you, nevermind the fact that I am the one who deals with a majority of the technological matters, such as directing the meteorite away from Earth's radars, which YOU take the credit for-"

"Hey!" Luke interrupted. "What has gotten into you the past half a week? Show me the reports, please."

Mr Smith had an urge to fight back, one which he had not experienced for a long time. But Luke was the half-son of Sarah Jane, and he had held dear feelings for his chatelaine, even though they were kept quiet.

"Cody Drakes is an alias, Luke. My findings show that her real name - is Seraphine."

The machine froze for a moment, screen of neon colours which usually darted across the black screen, slowing at the last word for which he uttered. Seraphine. Where had he heard that name before? It felt - it felt important, somewhat, but he couldn't understand why.

"Seraphine," Luke repeated. "Seraphine... Seraphine who? Does she have a last name?"

Mr Smith reviewed the files once more.

Then it clicked. "S-Seraphine..."

_**_Ooh, what is that? I thought I recognised the Orion Constellation when I first saw it._I always wondered what a nebula looked like! It's so beautiful, isn't it?_Are we alone down here? We are, are we not? I don't being alone._ There is nothing any of us can do, is there? So why are we alive? It is unlikely that we are going to accomplish anything where we are now. We might as well cease our lives right here and right now. That would make room for somebody else, would it not? Somebody who has a purpose. If we had a purpose, we wouldn't be kept away like we have been. To be masked from the world shan't be a purpose... should it?_**_

"... Seraphine is a Xylok, Luke."

The paper slipped from Luke's clasp again. News of a Xylok arriving in the neighbourhood was something that he thought that he himself would never hear of. Sarah Jane had only heard of a Xylok when she had Mr Smith's crystalline body appear in a parcel at the front door years back. "You mean - your kind of Xylok, Mr Smith?"

"There is only one kind of Xylok," the computer replied. Then his voice went dry, with something that seemed to be like sadness, maybe even an emotion of guilt hidden deep within. "Her full name is Seraphine Alristar - and there's something else you might need to know."

"What is that...?" Luke clamoured.

"Seraphine is my daughter."

**SERAPHINE'S POV**

"Well well well, finally cured of our Skivitos then, Sparky?" Clyde joked as Sky approached us through the school gates, clutching a pink rucksack over her back, her brunette curls springing up and down as she elegantly ricocheted.

"What is Skivitos?" Sky inquired, obviously not aware of the term before. To be honest, neither was I in the beginning.

"Clyde's being a twit," Rani griped, but with a small smile lingering to appear at his wit. "To skive means to miss lessons for no reason, apart from maybe laziness, so Skivitos is a fake disease people get when they can't be bothered to go to school."

"I like school though," Sky responded sharply.

"As I said, he's being a twit," Rani told her.

Clyde put on an 'innocent puppy' expression. "All these women, you can't get away with anything, can you?" The three of them laughed in chorus.

Rani turned to me. "So, what do we have first, Cody, do you know?"

I took out my planner from my bag, finding the timetable on one of the back pages, where it usually was. I should of added it to memory in the morning then I wouldn't have to do any of this. Oh, never mind. I have to be human some of the time in this disappointing, sad world of organics. "In-information... Information Technology."

"With computers," Clyde pointed out. As if I didn't know. Rani and Sky exchange looks of grimace with him. I stay quiet.

The bell rings, so we walk to the lesson, and Sky starts heading towards the main building to hers. When we make ourselves present, there is a small woman sitting at the front, who had similarities to that of a rodent. The whole suite was wrapped in a ghostly sullenness. Clyde and Rani head for their seats, whilst I search for an empty one. The rat-like being points a bony finger my way.

"Cody, yes?" She rises from behind the massive machine which takes up most of the desk space. "I'm Mrs Lewis, Head of Technology, and your teacher."

"Good to know, Madame," I say, roaming the room even further.

Mrs Lewis watches my every step. "STOP," she yells. "There is a space for you here."

I detect an empty chair with a computer. "Thank you for pointing that out."

She wrinkles her face, giving me my login for the school network. I thank her again, but the miserable woman has already trotted off, clapping her hands for the attention of the class. "Children! Look and listen!" she spits. "I want you to log on, go into Microsoft Word and write me an essay at least 10 pages on using the Internet safely. NO COPYING AND PASTING OR YOU WILL GET AN AFTER SCHOOL DETENTION - I KNOW WHEN IT IS NOT YOUR OWN WORK. You can use the web to help you out, that's it. Ok! Begin! Chop-chop, I want this down by half past! IN SILENCE! If I hear somebody BREATHING, you all get kept in Lunchtime."

With that, everyone turns back to their computers, getting on with the task set. The noise of typing fills the air. Mrs Lewis is too busy engrossed in a tabloid to care, alike the one Aaron has read every morning since I moved in.

I gaze at the screen. The screen gazes at me. I sigh, typing my username and password, clicking the 'go' button afterwards. The screen reads 'Hello' as it loads. I sink back into the rock-hard seat, waiting. All the computers seem to be taking a long time, as if, taking in some loaded information...well, they are an old make. I relax next to the keyboard, radiation from the screen trying to invade my consciousness. My body feels limb as I drift into a comfortable slumber. Out of this form, into another... into a preferred form...

"What's happened to my computer?!" a person screams.

I sit up in shock, with a feeling of exhaustion and gasp. The screens are black, with an array of neon colours creating strangely amazing patterns.

I had connected myself to every computer in the suite.

"It's a virus!" Mrs Lewis exclaims. "It has to be."

She picks up the phone on the wall and dials another colleague. "Claire? Is that you...are your computers going weird?...No? Oh, mine have gone bonkers, so out of the blue too...yes. Ok. I'll do that now. Thanks." With that, she hung up. "Somebody! Get the Techni-"

Rani and Clyde bolt out of their chairs and head for the door before Miss can finish her sentence. A Technician? Seriously? They would not know the answer. I need to find a way to disconnect from the matrixes, in order for them to return to normal state. I become more sensitive to the incoherent chatter coming from the other pupils. I try to focus on being human. It is not working. The reality is spinning round repetitively as I carry on fighting. It is collapsing in my mind. I can feel myself returning to a crystal quicker than I imagined the metamorphosis to be.

I need to get out of here.

Mrs Lewis is obviously attempting to sort out the problem herself, using the main computer. But since I am slowly dripping into every intelligence, including hers, she could do nothing to resolve the issue. A shock wave of energy shot through me, and I continue to slip out of my human form. This is severe; how would the humans react if my host body fell to the floor, and my voice suddenly came through the speakers? Then I come up with an idea.

"Ma'am," I struggle. "Can I be excused to the lavatory, please?"

The teacher glowers in reply. "Is it urgent? You've had all break," she scowls, still trying to fix the systems.

I do not have time for this nonsense. Fortunately for me, Mrs Lewis writes me a scribbled note and hands it to me. "You have two minutes."

With that, I jump out of my seat and pace out of the room, slamming the door behind me. Being away from the cybernetics may enable me to become more steady in my organic shift. That was close. I begin to feel awake again as I wonder the corridor for a while. Hopefully, I have been completely disconnected, and return to class, as my minutes are nearly up.

I sigh with relief. When I am back, all the computer screens are back to how they should of been. Yet, my anxiety rebounds at the sight of Rani and Clyde discussing the incident with Mrs Lewis.

"The Technician was busy. We to get him to come," Rani says, although according to my vocals detector, she is lying through her teeth. "Probably a virus, like you said."

"Well...at least it's gone, for the moment," Mrs Lewis responds. "Let's just have our fingers crossed it won't happen again."

"Yeah," Clyde jeers my direction. "It won't happen again."

I feel myself tipping over with uneasiness. They know. The Smiths, certainly, must know. I kick into paranoia. They know I'm a Xylok. These humans, are hunting me. Out to get me. Do I care? Not...ok, maybe a bit. They could try and kill me, if they know my weaknesses. And I need to live, to fulfil my purpose. However, I also need to consider that the Intergalactic Forces may find me.

It appears that I don't have enough time to think about my options when there's three, furious bangs on the door as soon as I get home.


	7. Daughter of The Xylok

**KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK-**

"Cody, get the door!" Aaron yells from the living room as he settles into his armchair, preparing to watch the news at 4. Bronwyn has immediately vanished to continue with painting the bathroom, so that only leaves me to answer the raging knocks.

I dart down the hallway and approach the door cautiously. Before unlocking the ridiculous amount of security locks which were attached, I take a peek through the spy hole.

Luke. With Sky, Rani and Clyde. The whole lot of them. The chances of me opening the door to them are a million to one, unless of course, they MAKE me.

"Hello?" Luke knocks again. "Anybody there?"

Sky glares right into my eye. "Something's moving in the tiny mirror thingy!"

"Is that you, Seraphine?" Luke asks. "Can you come out, please?"

He has addressed me by my real name. I decide to try a technique humans tend to use in their telephone answer machines. "I AM NOT AVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT...LEAVE A MESSAGE...AND I'LL...I'LL GET BACK TO YOU LATER."

"Seraphine, just open the door," Clyde sighs. "We know it's you."

"This door will not open. It will not open as long as you remain here," I scoff. Then something occurs which I did not expect. The sound of an electronic object, whilst it transfers electromagnetism, breaking the lock. Before I know it, they have opened the door, and I am facing them in seconds.

"A... A hacking device," I exhale, then stare down at the miniature, golden baton Luke clutches between her fingers. I raise an eyebrow. "...L..._lipstick_?"

He nods, seriously. "It came in handy for a lot more functions than just making Mum look pretty," he remarks. "Besides, shouldn't you be used to alien technology?"

I choose putting on an innocent act to see how experienced this group truly is. "W-What do you mean?" I attempt a stunned expression. "Aliens? Are- are you _absurd_, Smith?"

"What was that special effects show you put on in IT today, then?" Rani questions me. "We saw you excuse yourself from the lesson. It was obvious _you_ were behind it."

"So I cannot go to the toilet?" I snap. "You're insane. Aliens. You think I'm an alien. Ha! You think I'm a... it may of been a computer virus, as theorised."

Clyde steps forward, an attempt to intimidate me. "Oh yeah? What kind of computer virus causes THAT? Seraphine, give it up. We know what you are. We have known one of your kind for over half a decade now." Luke uses his hands, hinting at his accomplice to quieten down. They have knowledge of my race's existence?

"We won't hurt you. Trust me," Luke tells me. "You're a Xylok, aren't you?"

"H-how..." I stutter. How could she know? Extraterrestrial hunters, yes. This neighbourhood majority was.

"You are on the search for your father are you not? Trying to find him after 2 centuries of separation."

"H-how could you know. A measly hominid. How-"

"When my Mum died, we came to the mutual understanding that we needed to continue her work, as a tribute, and also, without somebody to step up after her, who would be able to keep an eye on Earth? Sky, Clyde, Rani and I. We are The Infinite Circle - and we can solve your problem for you. Infact, we can reunite you with your Dad right this minute. Are you coming?" Luke grabs my hand and hauls me out of the house.

"PARDON?" I exclaim, almost tripping down the wooden step. "YOU KNOW MY FATHER? I-I don't understand!"

"Goodness, we've known your dad for yonks," Clyde replies, whilst picking up speed on the curb.

The quintet of humans drag me across to next door, the Smith household. Luke opens the door for us and we head inside, one by one, and directs us upstairs, so I ascend the staircase following after him and his synthetically-devised sister, with their friend behind, as if preventing me from fleeing if the need be. Which hopefully is not the case. We arrive to the top, where I am then directed towards an entrance, to an attic. This is a trick. It has to be a trick. They are intending to trap me here, and what have I done? I've took the bait. How could I let them, ludicrous humans, do such a thing?

I am about to break away and escape from the house, however Sky has already closed the garret entryway. Flicking back his fringe, Luke moves quickly across the room, and hops over the gradation which has been made in the floor. He takes a breath, before vigorously announcing:

"Mr Smith, I need you!"

Then standing back straight afterwards.

Yes - this is a trap, and I must make an exit right this instant. I am about to target the five of them each in a containment vortex and gallop off as far as these feet can take me, but that's when it happens. The chimney starts to take itself apart. There are giant wheeshes of steam, and a loud fanfare plays to the top volume. Slowly revealing itself comes a massive, extraterrestrial supercomputer. Not just any extraterrestrial supercomputer. A Xylok extraterrestrial supercomputer.

The music finishes, as the machine finally makes its form complete.

"Is that you, Seraphine?" a familiar voice echoes from the speakers, which I haven't heard for a long time, and but immediatley recognise once I hear it again. My response?

"Well, shit."

**THIRD PERSON POV**

"Excuse me?"

The apparent-young woman's mini black dress blew in the slight draught of the attic. She quivered in the knee-length boots she wore on her feet, and tightened the red bow that was tied into her long, dark curls of hair.

Peering up at the magnificent masterpiece of technology before her, Seraphine backed down in awe, almost falling back into the arms of those whom had brought her here.

"I-I mean," she hesitated. "... This is quite the reunion."

"It is, isn't it?" the machine affirmed. "When was the last time we spoke?"

Seraphine thought for a moment. "The-the Victorian age, it may seem."

"Goodness." Mr Smith's flickering neon swirls tightened mid-screen. "How is it that, you appear to me in this human state of yours?"

Seraphine clasped her hands together awkwardly. "It is a long story. But to shorten such a tale... I had managed to connect to - to - the cryogenic pod for which the corpse was placed, v-via the cybernetic enhancements that kept it activated, and transferred myself over."

Mr Smith's tone changed to that of disbelief. "So basically, I am conversing with a possessed human?"

"J-just be grateful that I do not turn my head 360 degrees or - or crab walk across the ceiling."

Seraphine hissed, and he laughed.

However, his laughter stopped abruptly after a few seconds. "You have a slight stutter, Seraphine. That's new."

The girl in question sighed, knowingly. "You should try it...talking...talking out of this mouth piece. It is not entirely convenient - that's f-for sure."

Mr Smith decided to leave the topic out of perceptiveness. "Well, it is most certainly strange to be in conversation after so long."

"Yes," Seraphine replied. "But not that it is bad thing."

"Of course not," Mr Smith agreed. "Thank you, Luke, for bringing Seraphine."

"You're welcome," Luke smiled reassuringly. "So...does that now make her one of us, guys?"

Rani looked back at her male friend, with an unsure expression lingering on her face. "Sky only joined last week."

"But Seraphine IS my daughter," Mr Smith retorted from behind the group. "Sky was not of your blood, was she, Rani?"

"Your point is?"

"I would be the one to take care of Seraphine when she is in our presence. There is nothing to be concerned about."

"AND," Seraphine added. "I could be for back-up, if he's running low due to...'technical difficulties'... l-let's say-"

"Watch that tongue, young lady. I never experience sincere techni-"

"I'm trying to help!" she whispered sharply, continuing her negotiation with the group. "Please, Luke. I will do all I can to assist you - and I will be careful not to get too much into your business i- if - if you do not wish for me to."

Clyde and Rani were still not sure. Sky was neutral, amusing herself with a Newton's Cradle in the background. Luke stood like an adult, considering whether or not another Xylok should somehow tag along occasionally.

Within a few minutes, he came to a decision. "Fine. Mr Smith, Seraphine will be visiting one a week, and may aid us sometimes when required. Is that ok with the two of you?"

Seraphine nodded firmly. "Thank you ever so much," she exhaled, and a quiet yet audible breath of relief come from Mr Smith. The giant clock ticked in front of them, and a chime sounded, meaning another hour had gone by.

"Oh. I do believe it is time for me to depart," Seraphine told the quintet. "Once more, I give you to my greatest gratitude, the lot of you," I head for the attic door and twist the handle. "Goodbye for now."

Luke flashed her a grin. "Take care on your way out."

She gazed back at Mr Smith before she left. "A pleasure, Father, to see you again," I say.

The neon colours of his screen flickered back and forth casually. "Farewell, Seraphine," he replied, as Seraphine closed the door behind her then cleared out of the house.

**SERAPHINE'S POV**

So that was that. I have finally been reunited with my father. He is only a house away now. Incredible. I wonder what it is like for him to view me as a human. It sure is strange to of seen him as an artificial intelligence made out of a chimney, however, if one of your parents was, wouldn't you perceive that as preposterous?

Now that I have found my father, however, it is time for my secondary purpose to be taken into consideration for real. That would of course, go against what I have told Luke and those asinine adolescents. Does it matter to me? No, not to a big proportion.

Only my purpose matters.


	8. How One Shall Deal With Her Issues

Once some finishing touches have been added to my daily showering of homework, I tick the assignments off of the weekly checklist in my organiser, and pack my studying tools away in a place safest for their keeping. This is with the exception of a sharpened pencil and scrap paper, so I can begin plotting down my scheme to success incase it somehow passes away from me if I have it locked up in an insecure mind document for too long.

How will I become capable of my purpose fulfilment? The Xylok are buried beneath to the Earth's crust, which means I need to somehow break the outer layer of Earth for their release. By what method shall this be done, however? The plan I came up with in the middle of French, I find now, will not be as easy as I seemed to at first judge it to be. For the moon to collide with this planet, I would need to get hold of a device known as the MITRE headset, created by the PHAROS Institute. I could have found a human with the telekinetic energy so strong it could bring the two together in minutes. Yet, the headset had been stolen the week it was made, destination of it unknown to this day... and with various other ideas to seek confidence in, I feel trying to catch the headset would be a wasted take up of incredible time I could be spending on better things.

I do know of another device which is capable to do other functions which could aid me, however. It is named the Earthquake Simulation and Plate Advantage Contrivance, with the abbreviation 'ESPAC' for short. As this suggests, it has the ability of controlling the ground which makes up planet Earth, and with a few tweaks and reconstruction, it could most certainly simulate an earthquake - one of massive destruction, enough to split the Earth apart, thus cracking open the upper stratum and below. The ideas flood onto my paper as I scribble with the same quantity of sanity as a mad professor. For the refined ESPAC to work, a powerful electricity source will be required. Now, that is not far. I know the perfect little spark to fit that description... plus, at the time of the activation, I will morph back to my crystalline form and connect to the nearest, and most superior computer engine which isn't fathers. If I can. I may need to consult my humanoid acquaintances for some slight support, without them finding out my true intentions, since they do take up beating aliens on a weekly business as a hobby.

Ah yes. These strange ones, I cannot let them become an obstacle, as I fear it may become one of extreme intensity to get over. Not saying that I am weak or anything. It would just be typical, and if this is the reason I exist, it is essential for my accomplishment.

"Glabarah mokil sazrio! Glabarah makai okedasi!"

Luke presses a few buttons on the extraterrestrial language decoder in his hands. "It says: 'This world will be mine! This world is doomed!'" he explains, reading the transliteration shown on the screen.

"That's what they all say!" Clyde grouses.

"We'll show him!" Rani gets out fire extinguisher from the cabinet. "Go home now or your flame goes out!"

The Fire Spirit let out a shriek of laughter. "Cazs mokil popikatra!" it cackles, squishing its ember tail back and forth in anxiety.

Luke repeats his task of translating the demon's words. "I will return soon," he interprets.

"What now?" Sky panics, clutching to her brother's arm. "I'm scared!"

Rani charges for the lifeform, extinguisher at the ready. "You're not going to return or you face THIS!" she exclaims. The Fire Spirit winks at us, and as Rani begins to shoot, it teleports to another dimension, leaving behind ashes that form the shape of a Phoenix before they fall to the floor.

"Well, I hope that's all we hear about from THAT pest," Clyde remarks, slowly putting down his bucket of water next to the writers desk.

"I'm not entirely sure," I chip in, placing my super soaker next to the water bucket. A Fire Spirit has unpredictable qualities that even those such as I cannot expect to occur; they are most certainly irritating after encountering them for the first time. To be honest, when you put it like that, they're similar to humans, but are a tad more harmful.

"Mr Smith, could you scan for present Fire Spirit trails in the Solar System, please?" Luke asks as he copies the idea of positioning his item of defence out of the way. Monkey see, monkey do.

"There are currently no traces of Fire Spirit in our Solar System," Father states, showing us the analysis results.

Luke returns to me. "Seraphine?"

I also scan for my own reference. "No Fire Spirits," I proclaim.

"Ok!" He exclaims. "It's about time we have something to eat! Shall I take a trip to Sammy's Chip Shop for us all?"

The others jump up in agreement.

"Fish and chips, please!"

"Can I get a kidney pie, please?"

"Am I allowed a cheese burger, please?"

Luke laughs. "Calm down everyone! Seraphine, would you like anything?"

I shake my head. "I'm fine, thank you." The amount of fat content and grease that covers the food makes me want to regurgitate, yet I do not say that.

He smiles, taking Sky by the hand as she follows on behind. "Can the rest of you stay on guard incase anything else happens?"

Rani, Clyde and I nod in reply, and with our assurance, he leaves.

After about 30 seconds, a bizarre tune begins to come from Clyde's mobile. He kicks himself off the chair, flipping the screen open, eyes gawping, giving Rani the 'hold on one minute' look before answering the flamboyant rapping that crackles through the tiny phone speakers. This could be my chance.

"Shall we leave him be?" I suggest. "I need to have a small chat."

In response, Rani carefully climbs out of her seat alongside me. "Urm, alright," she murmurs. We pace outside to the first floor, lingering by the staircase. "Are you ok?"

I cling to the banister as I lean on its wood. "The Fire Spirit... it hasn't completed disappeared from our planet," I lie. "I can s-still sense it's presence."

Rani's eyes widen in shock. "But, didn't Mr Smith say-"

I gesture her to quieten down so that he doesn't hear us. "I know, I know, but the spirit must have...damaged Father's scrutiny... dexterity..." I had a slight feeling of guilt calling him incorrect, however, it was soon going to benefit the both of us and the universe.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"That's - that's what I wondered myself, Rani," I tell her. "...And I came to a conclusion."

"What is it?"

I come in close. "It wants something. It wants something very important to the survival of it's race..." I think of what to say next, leaving an accidental dramatic pause. "The PHAROS Institution has that...treasure. The Earthquake Simulation and Plate Advantage Contrivance. Don't ask me how it will give them an advantage, it just will."

Rani now has a devious grin on her face. "You're asking me to steal it? But what if I get caught?"

I try to keep a serious face. "Well, we're going to BORROW it. Get it before the Fire Spirit does. I would like to do - do a study of it to understand the powers. We'll return it once I'm finished. Then, when the alien is directly back into our... our atmosphere, we can defeat it, as we will know how to d-disable the device. A bit of... fun, you know. It will think it can er-eradicate us from the surface, but we knew of the c-c-contrivance all along. We had a PLAN." I add a unintentional one of my low, sinister chuckles at the end. Rani doesn't seem to know the difference though. "As for you getting caught...I doubt that will be something - something of concern. You are quick, are you not?"

"Yes," she answers.

"Well. That means you'll be ok," I reply. With that, the two of us begin to head back upstairs. Something else springs to thought. "Oh, and y-you...wouldn't mind not telling the others, would you? M-Make it a - a s-surprise..."

Rani's smile grows. "Sure."

Then the two of us ascend the staircase, to the attic again, waiting for our food to arrive shortly, Clyde waiting for us. He asks us what we were talking about, and we just say 'Girl Problems,' and ask what his call was about, it was just his mother reminding him of a homework assignment that needs to be done when he returns. It seems Rani knows her stuff when it comes to boys - but I know my stuff when it comes to the pitiful human kind.

After the dinner was served, I thanked the Smith household and walked home, since I was wanted back at 6. Bronwyn had gone out to buy the weekly shopping, whilst Aaron was on the phone in the dining room, meaning the living room was to myself for now. I picked up a musical system which I guessed was Bronwyn's and had a listen. Maybe this miniature device could come in handy for other things than just the applications offered. I have one of my strange brainwaves. Maybe I could create my own 'Mr Smith-esque' form, out of the computer in my room and several more multiple technological items? That would be astounding. I begin to tinker with the iPod, when suddenly, I hear a voice from the outside world.

"Hey, Seraphine."

I face upwards to where the voice had come from, whilst taking out my headphones.

"Oh. Hello, Clyde," I reply, trying to add a hint of charisma my monotone manner. "...I guess I left the door open." But he doesn't look very amused. "Something seems to be bothering you, am I right?"

Clyde's frown becomes more visible. "Drop the act."

"Excuse me?"

He peers over at the screen of my iPod. "What are you doing?"

"Listening to music. W-what else would I be doing with w-with one of these?"I say, twirling the wire of my left ear headphone around my index finger.

Clyde pretends to put on an expression of deep thought. "Well, it depends on the model. Could be checking the time with the built-in watch. Or measuring your steps on the Pedometer. But you don't really need an iPod to do any of that stuff, do you? Maybe you're using it for another reason. But what other reasons are there?"

I give him a flat look. "You're... you are implying I can't try, and blend in with humans, like Luke and Sky have done?"

"Look," Clyde folds his arms. "I heard you talk with Rani. I know what you're up to. All Xyloks have a purpose, right? You want to free them, don't you, and that ESPAC is what will let you do that, ain't it? Like your Dad planned to do with the headset gizmo. But he failed and saw the error of his ways thanks to a feared computer virus, because we won't let innocent people on Earth die for your stupid 'alien problems.' I'm going to beat you. I see what you're doing, even if the others don't. You're not going to get as far as your Dad did, so forget it."

After Clyde has concluded his lecture, I reward him with a slow, sardonic round of applause as I circle his personal space.

"Oh well done. What a magnificent speech," I taunt, my voice oozing with sarcasm. "...So that's why Father was not a-acting how I honestly recalled him. Thank you for that point of information. But... I'm afraid you're wasting my time right now. So it'll be off with you for meanwhile."

"How are you going to do that?" Clyde questions me, sounding confident yet cautiously tiptoeing for the door. Consequently, I fire a beam of red light straight towards him, sending him away from the biological universe, into the virtual reality of what was going to be one of his nightmares - my cyberspace.

"That's how."


	9. The Chess Mistress

**A/N: Hello, there! *waves* CrystallineNeptune here. Just a quick message before you begin this chapter: I always LOVE hearing from my readers. So, if you have a few seconds to spare, I would be extremely grateful for a tiny bit of feedback on what you have read! Are you liking what you're reading? Any favourite parts? Ideas on what should happen next? Submit your views via the little review box at the bottom of the screen, you know what the do. I'll adore you forever if you reply! 3 Even just favouriting and following if you feel nice ;D Oh, and thank you so much for taking the time to read this fic. I hope you enjoy what's in store next. Ta-ta for now!~**

**THIRD PERSON POV**

The noise of her heart pounding. The blood rushing to her head. The butterflies in her stomach. Rani Chandra knew this was going to be precarious task. But if it were to be for the salvage of Earth, it was what needed to be done. Like most of the other tricky objectives her and the others had carried out before.

She could feel the uncontrollable quivering of her hands as she let go from the comfort of the tree trunk, used for a quick hiding place. Guards stormed past. She had gone unnoticed. For now.

Rani looked to her left. To her right. The coast was clear. No time to lose, Chandra, she thought to herself, then darted across the open land as fast as her feet could take her.

Once arriving at the PHAROS Institute's wooden gate entrance, Rani checked over her shoulder to see if there was a reaction from the guards. Nothing. They had disappeared somewhere in the distance, shrouded in the darkness of the thick fog.

She tinkered with the lock on the gates. It was stuck on there, secure like superglue. Well, it did need to be, incase people like her were roaming around during the late hours with the intention to break in and take high-tech gizmos off the shelves. Luckily, for a person like Rani, who knew how to deal with this sort if thing from her time with Sarah Jane and The Infinite Circle, this wasn't too much of a problem.

A disabling mechanism should do the trick.

Pressing a few small buttons and targeting the bolt was all that was required for the gates to open. Of course, it wasn't as effective as the sonic lipstick, but it worked, either way.

"This place... is HUGE," Rani whispered to herself as she navigated through the different rooms of the building, checking the signs by every gadget she came across, to see if it was the ESPAC. She was slightly annoyed that Seraphine didn't give her any information on what the device looked like. However, when she finally came to face the device, she knew why no hints had been provided.

It was because it was too COMPLEX to explain. For ANYONE. Rani frowned. It that for your neck? Head? Is it even to be worn at all? What colour is it? It's... nothing, really. What shape was it? Did it even have a shape? Or was it all just... random shapes put together?

This unusual contraption interested her. Without thinking, she went straight for it, stealing it off of the shelf it was on and taking a moment to look at it in awe. It wasn't until ten seconds later she realised she'd set off the alarm.

"Intruder! Perimeter defences have been armed! Any attempt to escape may result in death! You have been warned!"

Rani immediately jumped back into reality's wrath. "Oh, great!" she exclaimed, backing out of the institute, tracing her steps back outside. She fiddled with the ESPAC to get it to fit in her satchel as she ran, flipping the cover back over once feeling the cold breeze hit her cheeks like daggers of ice.

She heard two motorcycles come at her from both sides, and four other security officers heading straight towards her, armed. But was there really anything to fear? Rani once more got out her disabling mechanism, firing static bolts at the bikers, immobilising their vehicles, causing them to skid into the dry mud of the woods that surrounded them. That's going to leave a few marks, she thought, however, they were still a few more guards to take down. As she continued to flee, even when instructed not to with the threat of termination, Rani shot a few more beams of shockwaves at the human silhouettes, paralysing them, as she managed to also pull off a backwards somersault to conclude her escape scene.

Home was the next destination, before her parents began to go out looking for her. Which was most certainly not something worth to be happening, as you would know.

"Clyde's gone missing?" Luke said for the fifth time that morning, as he dipped his chocolate digestive in her mug of coffee at the Langer home next morning.

Clyde's mother blew her nose again. "He didn't come back last night," she sniffed. "I tried calling his mobile, but nothing. No reply."

"Where did Clyde say he was going when you last saw him?"

Carla sighed, struggling with what to say at first. She got up from the table, walking over to the window, gazing outside at the left-over children who still hadn't arrived at school yet. "When he came back from yours, I asked if he could run a little errand for me. To the shop and buy a box of cereals, simple as. It's all my fault, Luke, I should of just let him get through the door for a bit first-"

"Don't be silly, it's not your fault," Luke ushered her as her voice began to crack from upset. "I'm sure Clyde would have been ok with it. He would of gone any other time, wouldn't he? Maybe he's just got something on his mind, and needs space away."

"But I'm his mum-"

"We know what Clyde's like though," Luke chipped in once again. Carla stopped hastily sipping her drink, clasping her mug with strong grip. He went on to explain. "He's gone missing times before this, and has always come home afterwards. Don't worry, Ms Langer, we'll make sure we keep an eye out for him."

A few seconds of silence passed, and she nodded in agreement.

"You have every right to worry about your son," Luke told Carla. "Like you said, you're his mum. However, like I just said, Clyde HAS done this before and we've recovered him safe and sound. We'll do all we can... I'm just as concerned as you are."

Carla managed a smile. "Thank you," she murmured, tearing another tissue from the box as her neighbours began leaving from their morning chat.

Luke gave her a look of reassurance in return. "No problem." He replied, as the door closed behind him.

**SERAPHINE'S POV**

{Oh you're kidding me!}

Clyde glares around at his surroundings, now shrouded in darkness with nothing but the rubicund, arithmetical walls for light. He backs away slowly into one of the gloomy corners. {Why couldn't you of chose someone else this time round? Why Clyde Langer? What is it with you Xyloks and trapping ME in your minds?!}

Maybe because you're the first one to butt into people's business.

Clyde jumps, startled at my sudden response. {Seraphine?!}

Father kept you in internment too, huh? I laugh. Ah. Ok then. I don't know how telling me this, is going to make your situation better in any way.

{It means I know how to get hold of the others!} Clyde snapped.

Is that so? I jeer, finally managing to switch off any communication options - which REALLY would have came in handy back in I.T.

He slaps his thigh in annoyance, slamming his fists on the 'floor,' and remaining in a curled-up position. Well. He does that, until he hears the sudden voice of Rani quietly make its way into hearing shot.

"Hi."

Rani approaches the lockers I am standing by. I close my locker and turn to her, slightly adjusting the right strap of my rucksack.

"Sorry I couldn't get it to you first thing," she whispers, slowly lifting the device out of her bag when nobody is paying attention to us. "Here's the ESPAC."

I smile, pleased with the news. "I knew I could trust you, Rani," I assert, carefully taking the device and settling it into a safe department of my own, with a quiet smirk.

I have triggered anger in Clyde by this, as he watches and listens to all that is taking place in the reality of matter. {Rani! NO!} he exclaims.

Y-You know she can't hear you, right? I add a quick sneer. The bell rings for third period, like it does conventionally.

"Time for Performing Arts," Rani promulgates, gesturing me to follow her to the Studio. "Come on, Miss Kellers gives a right telling off to those who are late."

I secure the knot of my tie. "We'd better - we'd better hurry then," I reply, pacing after her, whilst drowning Clyde's cries of protest with a muting option.

As our car pulls up near the Bannerman Road sign, I know there was something different going on. I always arrive that small bit later than the others, because even though they walk, the car route takes longer. Why couldn't I just walk? It appears my human foster parents do not give anything for their planet's environment, but their fully capable adopted child's protection.

We do our usual routine of Bronwyn opening the doors for Aaron and I before beginning her daily housework, Aaron heading straight inside for the 'comfy' chair to get his 'afternoon fix' and me left considering what I would like to do next for myself.

It seems the whole neighbourhood has grown a massive concern for Clyde's sudden absence overnight. Something which I did not expect to occur until further on. So, the human mind updates itself more than I thought. Ok. Take note.

"Seraphine!"

Rani is calling for me from number 12. "That's why he wasn't at school today. He's vanished!" She holds up a yellow sheet of paper with a picture of her admirer and bold text reading 'Have you seen Clyde? Ring this number,' followed by a landline I'm guessing belongs to the Langer residence.

"Oh my..." I say, my voice trailing off. Not because of Rani. Because Luke and Sky have just come out carrying a gigantic banner that stretches across the brick wall casing their house.

"You don't mind giving us a hand, do you?" Luke pants. "Sky, why not go over to Gita and offer to put some posters around instead. We don't want you getting puffed out, do we?"

Sky flutters her eyelashes. "Ok!" she remarks in that voice of hers, skipping across the road. The side of the banner she left behind starts flopping to the ground, so I hustle for the end in advance of it doing so completely. What a nuisance that child is. All she really is to me consists of a 'oh-so special' power-plant taking the form of an annoying young brat. Unfortunately, I need to keep her alive for the functioning of the ESPAC, as I have already explained.

"Thank you, Seraphine," Luke exhales, as we continue to lift the banner up, then stick it on. I have decided to help in the end, so that they do not expect anything of me, and it's pretty amusing to see them putting in all this effort when I know Clyde won't be coming back...

After everyone has contributed in stapling posters and banners, and slipping leaflets through letterboxes (managing to even get Aaron outside on the job) we all decide to call it a day. I'm about to follow the Drakes back indoors, when I feel a hard tap on my shoulder.

"Oh. Hello again, Luke," I greet the slender yet masculine figure behind me.

Luke simpers. "Hi, Seraphine. I just wanted to talk to you. Do you have some time?"

An idea comes to my head at this moment. Luke is a genius. Which means, if I can get him to, he could create me a technological computer interface, with no issues! Haha. Oh yes.

"Why... why don't you come in?" I decoy, opening the door and welcoming him. "The others have - have occupied the living room. Shall we go to the garage? Nobody ever uses it."

"Ok," Luke replies, following. We manage to sneak past Bronwyn and Aaron, who are playing some sort of human board game around the table. The garage has an entrance connected to the lounge, so it is easy to get to.

"What would you like to discuss?" I enquire, closing the ingress.

Luke almost at once launches into the conversation. "I think Clyde has been kidnapped by the Fire Spirits," he gasps. "But we went to Mr Smith this morning and he couldn't pick up any traces. Things like this have happened before though, and it was aliens. So-"

"So you want me to run a scan as well?"

"...Yes."

I run a real scan just for my own reference. There are no Fire Spirits. Of course, I tell him otherwise, as part of my plan.

"I do believe we have a few of them," I stress.

Luke's expression is PRICELESS. "We do?!"

"We do."

"Well, where are they?"

"I cannot confirm. They do seem - seem nearby, however," My voice drops into a lower tone. I guess you could say I was preparing myself to lure the bait. "You know, if I were in my true... my true shift, and under the influence of a machine, a machine familiar to Father's, I could assist you more." Well, assist myself, more like. Hmmhmm. "I - I would build it with my own - my own knowledge, but I need someone with a greater imagination than I do..."

Luke folds his arms. "I could make you one if you're that desperate. I am busy with exams, though, so it wouldn't be anything too fancy."

I clasp my hands together in relief I have deceived. "Ah, Luke. You have my gratitude," I tell him. This scheme is most successful.

"Don't worry about it-" Luke suddenly backs away from me. A glower is made from his eyebrows. "Hold on a minute."

"What's wrong?" I query, trying to stop him from disappearing in the best way I can, that isn't maliciously. I feel a small throb come from my head. The muting option for my mind hostage has switched itself off without alert.

{HELP!} Clyde screams. {Luke! Do you see me, mate?!}

"It's you!" Luke snaps. "You've got Clyde!"

So the intelligent individual of the group has found me out. Well...this is going to be interesting.


	10. Containments Apart, and a Broken Heart

I stare at Luke, with a look portraying reticence. "What... What makes you think that?" I question him sternly.

"Well, you haven't positioned the contact lens in your right eye properly," he replies, keeping his ground as he slips cautiously towards the exit into the living room. He nearly escapes too, but I manage to follow his movements and get there beforehand.

"Not so fast, a-archetype," I jeer, gripping the door knob tightly with one hand and adjusting my contact with the other.

"Release Clyde. Now," Luke orders in a rigorous tone.

"NO!" I scorn back. "I need to fulfil my purpose. He will - will only get in the way; and you are...to play your part by c-constructing my computer...computerised form here. You have been provided enough equipment." I point to the countless machinery that surrounds us. I have recalled the time when Bronwyn told me about Aaron's old gadget-collecting hobby, and how he keeps the majority of his gathering in the garage for convenience. This is of massive help to me, as you would of guessed. That is the real reason why I led Luke here of all places.

"You will be kept - kept hostage until it has been completed. Bronwyn and Aaron shan't hear you or know about you if there is a sound-proof field and security lock activated. If I find ANY, any faults, which I expect will NOT occur from the likes of a-a genius such as yourself, then you will be - be eradicated from the face of this...pitiful planet, quicker than you were brought into it."

"You're not going to find any faults," Luke tells me. "Because I'm going to get out of here and put an end to what you're planning-"

Whilst he is saying this, he is attempting to make his way around me.

I pull his hands away from the door, flipping him over and forcing him into the nearest wall.

"You really want to die, don't you...Luke Smith?" I whisper coldly in his earshot, clenching his shirt collar. But I do not want him dead yet. He must be alive, for the creation of the server. Knowing that I am making him struggle to breathe, I loosen my hands slightly. "Don't think that just because I am y-younger than my father, I am not - not capable of the same abilities. We are all the same."

"We will stop you however capable you are," Luke insists.

I chuckle at his ambition. "Whatever. I'd better get going, and you'd better get started."

With that, I let go, shoving him into a shrouded corner of darkness. As I open the door, he charges towards me, another pathetic attempt at a getaway, but I shut it firmly behind me before he can pass through, enabling the sound-proof field and security lock.

{He'll find a way to escape and get back to the others! We're not afraid of you!}

Great. It's Clyde again.

Get back to the others? More like go crying to his little accomplices, 'oh, she's a big baddie and she's planning to crack the Earth in half!' I snort. Actually, that's all you children do, isn't it? Suck up to each other. Rely on each other instead of looking after yourselves, get in the way of work, try to make just that measly little effort as long as YOU'RE ok. Sarah Jane will have known she'd have had an easier time without you whippersnappers on her shoulders all the time. But she's become too attached to the lot of you to admit it.

{You're only saying that because there's one of you, and more of us, and you haven't been able to do anything for how long you've lived until now,} Clyde protests. {If it weren't for that earthquake, you wouldn't even be here. But look at us, Seraphine! You're jealous of how much we've done as a team of humans in just under a decade!}

Why am I wasting my time with such a simpleton?

I would say that's enough of your idiotic babble, I scowl. I will not let anybody with the same foolishness as you test my patience. Good night. As soon as I say this, I have knocked Clyde unconscious with a voltage wave, hopefully lasting for another few hours so that he does not bother me until much later on.

When I return to the living room, Aaron lifts his head up from the table, asking me what I was doing in the garage without his permission. I tell him I was in there just for a bit of peace and quiet. We then engage in an unneeded quarrel until Bronwyn chips in. I am sent to my room. In a way, I do not mind. It means I have some time to myself so I can decide where to go next with my scheme once the girls find out both boys have vanished.

It would be great if tomorrow was the day I triumph.

"Luke's vanished too?!" Sky exclaims that Saturday morning, spitting out her Coca Cola.

I sit and watch in contentment as her and Rani express their anxiety of the situation. Nothing is more heart-wrenching to the overload of pain a sibling would get, even if they usually appear to rival each other, when their brother or sister has faded from their lives for a chunk of time. That is what I have heard. To make things even more excruciating for them, Luke and Sky are the kind of siblings that avoid any sort of dispute, so I'm guessing the kind of pain Sky is experiencing is of massive quantity.

But so? At least she has not had to suffer underground for most of her life, or go through any of torture to that of a Xylok child. Her perfection sickens me. Yet it will help me greatly once the day darkens to night.

"Nope!" Rani flustered, in a state of pandemonium. "They've took him! They took Clyde and now they've took Luke! That should of been an immediate warning, when Clyde went walk-abouts - BUT OH NO OF COURSE NOT." She took a furious sip of her drink, and got up from behind Sarah Jane's old desk to roam the attic in her dismay.

I decide to look up from my book of anthropology, joining the commotion to see if I can gain anything from it. "Who are 'they?'" I inquire.

"The Fire Spirits, of course!" Sky tells me, all 'matter-of-factly.' "Who else could it be?"

Me. HURR DURR.

"That is one theory," I reply, remaining civil.

"Yes, it is," she flaunts, proceeding into her little skip of joy, following her stressed mother.

Must. Not. Strangle.

"We will find Luke and Clyde, won't we, Rani?"

Rani faces us again at the sound of Sky's voice. "Well, I sure hope so! If we can find those Fire Spirits, then yes. Both Luke and Clyde will return like nothing happened. These monsters are extreme pests, they are. That's it though. We've come across worse, haven't we?"

Sky smiles, nodding strongly in agreement. "Yeah. These 'Hello Kitties' are nothing compared to what we've faced before!"

Hello Kitty? How dare you insult me like that. I am much more sophisticated.

Rani laughs, restored with spirit and optimism. She spins round to face the chimney. "Mr Smith, I need you!" she declares, then turns to me as the fanfare plays. "Seraphine - you and your father are going to scan as much space you can possibly cover for those hotheads!"

"Noted," I proclaim.

Rani proceeds to give Father his orders once fully intact. Obviously, he gets straight to it, with not a question asked. I am curious of the said chemistry that was between him and late Sarah Jane. I do not remember Father being the kind to let any women boss him around - maybe Sarah Jane reminded him of Nova, my mother. I do not know, nor want to, for that matter. It disturbs me enough to think about how Sarah Jane felt about this.

"Have you found anything yet?" Sky pipes up during the search.

Father reaches 100% a few seconds afterwards. "I believe there are not a single trace of Fire Spirit entity," he states. The girls are overwhelmed with distress.

"Then what took them?!" Rani exclaims.

"It must be incorrect!" Sky wails.

Father rigidly interrupts their deplore. "Let me finish." An alert comes up on the screen. I immediately recognise it. "There may be no Fire Spirits, however, I have picked up something else which you will be grateful for."

A human DNA monitor report. I analyse the results.

"It's for Luke and Clyde. They are actually very close. Infact..."

"SCAN COMPLETION!" I announce. "THERE ARE INDEED, FIRE SPIRITS IN THE AREA."

The humans look back at me in synchronisation. To Father. Then back at me again.

"It - it indeed appears that Luke and Clyde are nearby," I elaborate. "This is because the Fire Spirits have returned. They must have brought the boys with them, for whatever reason that is."

Rani doesn't know whether to be pleased or not, remaining uncertain. "Mr Smith has clearly told us there are no Fire Spirits, Seraphine."

I need to think on my feet here, and I need to do it effectively or 'I will be in hot water,' as I remember Bronwyn once saying. "They... well... must have... an invisibility field... object. Keeping them off certain... certain radars."

"How come you can sense them, then?" Rani interrogates.

"... Selective? Father is, as you know, the greatest - greatest search engine in this g-solar system. They would not want to be found out by him." I relax, pleased how this has turned out. "Like I said... certain radars. Not all." I don't think Father likes what he is hearing, but he stays quiet nevertheless.

Sky grabs the bolt on the door. "Where are they?"

I fiddle with the seam of my dress as I decide where to send them. I need to consider that Luke needs to spend a while on the machine so it will function superlatively. I do however, need Sky back in time for the deadline I've set myself.

"The - the abandoned - abandoned park down by S-Simkins S-Street." I had passed there once on the route to school. Simkins is not that far from Bannerman Road. Luke and Clyde could of easily been there. "Bring the Fire Spirits back to the attic. I-I know how we can sort this out once and for all." I wink at Rani. She knows what I'm talking about. The ESPAC. She winks back, and smiles.

The duo bolt out of the attic straight away, before anyone can get another word in edgeways. Saying that, I could hear Father trying to fit into the conversation at a few points, when he wasn't silent, ingesting what was going on. It is pretty annoying taking in human activity on a daily basis. It must be much harder when you're not in a disguise to aid you. Great. I can't wait for that.

So instead of addressing the others, he addresses me.

"Yes, Seraphine. Who else could it be, other than Fire Spirits?" he asks sternly.

I fold my arms. "Well, there are many different - different creatures in this universe. It could be...Daleks... Cybermen... Judoon... OR - it could just be other humans. Because being c-kidnapped by humans is actually more likely to happen than being c-kidnapped by aliens. It is their planet, after all. Plus they are very stupid with their h-hatred for one another."

"Don't be bitter with me, young lady," Father snaps. "I know that you are the real person behind Luke and Clyde's sudden disappearance. Do not tell me otherwise."

He fires a containment vortex my way, but I deflect it, giving it Sarah Jane's aged desk chair as a new target. The chair remains in a mid-air position, partially floating before the wooden floorboard beneath its legs.

"Why did you do that?" I rebuke, nursing the shock of pain that has gone through my arm from resisting the virtual mass.

Father would probably roll his eyes right now, if he had any. "You may be my daughter. But your plot is the same as mine was. Again, do not deny."

"I wasn't."

"I was checking, that's all." He brings up a familiar piece of scenery on the screen. The meteorite.

"You would like to free our kind from the crust. The only way to accomplish that is by splitting Earth in two. By doing so, you are an obstacle for me to overcome in fulfilling my purpose. The motive has changed, Seraphine. My purpose is now to protect this planet. It should be yours too. The Xylok are fine, they have adapted to the underground environment. Because of how much humanity has evolved, we can survive through the technological waves in the atmosphere."

No. This isn't valid. It is not a data point. I have always been told that our freedom was essential for the universe. How much more improved it would be, if those simpletons were gone, us as a replacement to their sinful ways. I cannot comply to this new piece of information. It is incorrect. We must have our liberty.

Father has become a traitor. That group of foolish ape descendants. They have made Father become disloyal.

"It's not - it's not fair," I defy. "They have changed you. With that virus. You must trust me. We need to save our race, whether humanoids live or not. They do not matter."

"Seraphine-" he tries.

"Oh, for the l-love of the Ancient Lights," I say. "Please do not attempt to converse with me. You are not my father anymore."

I force myself to burst into tears, making an exit at full speed and tumbling down the stairs. But once I reach outside, the crying coverts to laughter, at the fact I have almost done it. My plan. It is falling into place. Once they return, Sky will be mine. When they are not paying attention, that 'angel' will flutter into my trap. The revolution will finally take place. I do feel slight guilt for playing around with Father's heartstrings, but WILL he be proud when I've done it. I know so. I cross the road and go back to the garage to tell Luke his time is running out. Although he at first refused to obey to my orders, he appears to of done a decent job so far.

I look forward to how it will come out in the end.


	11. The Uncovering

"YOU!" Aaron yelled at the top of his lungs. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

Shocked by her husband's shouts, Bronwyn put down the washing and hurried out of the kitchen.  
"Coming, dear!" she cooed back, unrolling the sleeves of her jumper. "Didn't y'all say you were gettin' a Chinese at 7:30? Honey, I need to know; I'm not having a repeat of last week. I ain't gonna cook you somethin' nice then find-"  
Bronwyn creaked open the door of the garage, changing from reasonably peppy to outraged in seconds from what she saw.

"LUKE?!"

Luke scampered from the floor, breaking himself free of Aaron's restraints.  
"I can explain!" he protested. "All you need to do is give me a chance!"  
Aaron snorted. "Then what's THAT in the corner? You can tell me a bit about that, can you?" He pointed to the computer-like contraption of a massive screen, with two smaller monitors surrounding. An extended keyboard stuck out, bursting with mysterious lights like roman candles, capable of possibly many various functions. It was firmly attached from the ceiling, unlikely to fall apart due to the amount of effort been put in to keep it from the ground's reach. To simply describe it, this was not the kind of thing you would discover in your local PC World. Much more than that.

"What are you doin' in our garage, Luke?" Bronwyn frowned. "More importantly though, why are you makin' Eldritch Abominations here?!"  
Luke gulped. At least somebody had found him, and now he could warn the others of the scenario. But he needed to deal with the Drakes. He couldn't tell them about what he did, with his mother, Sky, Clyde and Rani, could he? There was no other way around it though. He knew that the others would not necessarily be happy about it, but Bronwyn and Aaron had a right to know. After all, they were the guardians of Seraphine - and she was about to do something that would kill of a mass majority of lives, including theirs, as a high probability.

"This is going to be hard for you both to take in..." Luke began, preparing them for what was to come. "...Seraphine isn't your average girl next door. You've adopted a child of intergalactic origins into your family."  
Bronwyn raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying our Seraphine's...an alien?"  
"Don't give us that rubbish," Aaron scorned, barging infront of his wife to confront the house trespasser. "Why would you say such a thing, for goodness sakes?!"  
"Please, listen to me!" Luke fought back.  
"You can't tell us what to do!"  
Despite the Drakes wanting to make him flinch away, Luke held his ground. "Aliens have been coming to Earth for years, you just haven't seen them. But I've seen them. So has Sky. Clyde. Rani. Mum did too. All of us have had close contact. Bannerman Road has gone through a lot. We've been constantly fighting them in secret - and helping them in other occasions," He brushed at the bruise on his arm. "Seraphine is a Xylok, a crystalline race that can communicate through cybernetic interfaces. Somehow, she's inhabited a human form-"  
"Cock and ball," Aaron remarked half-heartedly.

Bronwyn glared back at him, an obvious gesture to get him to shut up.  
"Continue," she told Luke, now slightly intruged in what he had to say.  
"She's come to us so that we can help her achieve her purpose," Luke carried on. "Which is to release her race from captivity underground. The thing that matters most to a Xylok is their purpose. Seraphine's been using us. I've been contained here to construct her own computerised server - she could do that herself, but I have the brain of over 10,000 people, and a gift when it comes to these things. I wasn't born. I was created."  
"That's impossible, though," Bronwyn replied.  
"But it's not," Luke insisted. "And if we don't warn the others of Seraphine's plan, then we're all going to die!"

The Drakes came to a conclusion that they had no choice but to tag along, even though the idea of extraterrestrials or the paranormal walking their neighbourhood was never something to consider, not for them, not really for anybody. They led Luke out of the house, with no dispute over whether to knock at number 13 or not.

Alas, there was no answer.

"Hey!" Luke hollered. He waited for a while. After knocking several more times, he exchanged worried looks with Bronwyn and Aaron. "There's nobody in."  
"We couldn't of guessed," Aaron droned sarcastically. "So now what, Mr. Frankenstein McGenius?"  
"Don't call him that!" Bronwyn snapped in defence of the child she always knew as a good citizen. She looked back at Luke, acknowledging the true seriousness of the situation. "Have you got a phone on you? We could ring them."  
"Unfortunately not," Luke folded his arms and sighed, thinking of when his last mobile had come to a doomed end. He couldn't remember it, having each of them smashed, disintegrated or missing in the past two years. "It appears aliens love to destroy them. Who knows how many we get through as a group combined. Where's yours?"  
"Mine has no battery, and you used Aaron's for one of the computer monitors back in the garage."

That made an invite for the ultimate face-palm. What was going to be the alternate plan, then, before it was too late?

"I've got an idea," Aaron piped up from behind them. "Seraphine's human right now, is she not? She told me she would be going to pop out for an ice-cream. Maybe we could take a quick walk to the corner shop and confront her there, so that we can get the job over and done with!"

Bronwyn and Luke gave him the 'Are You Kidding Me' expression in response. It was obvious that Aaron really would not be much help when dealing with the supernatural, being ignorant of the safety precautions and a man of poor judgement.

Thankfully, an Emerald Green Nissan Figaro pulled up on the pavement, so they didn't have enough time to strangle his neck...

**SERAPHINE'S POV**

As soon as I step back into the house, I can immediately pick up that nobody is present. By nobody, I mean not a single humane lifeform at all, including those who were artificially 'born.' My hostage has escaped. How so? The containment vortex... it must not of been made strong enough.

You can't be serious.

I make my way swiftly to the garage, almost literally hurling myself inside when encountering the entrance. Luke has fled, yes. However, the young genius has left behind something very surprising.

I am unable to take my vision off of the magnificent work which stands before me. Of course, it is not as finalised as father's model, but in the space of time given and for a person who is meant to be against me, this is a great piece of improvised machinery. It not only has all the essentials. It even looks so that words cannot describe.

With Luke obtaining his freedom back, he can warn the others of my 'malicious intentions;' therefore, I shall not be able to get hold of Sky. Or will I? The child is unpredictable to both the opposing sides of good and bad, so one is given the only option but to wait before taking matters into their own hands.

I become hidden within the radiation of the operative system, creeping out of my human form. This is Earth's final hour.

...This is my time to be worth something.

**THIRD PERSON POV**

Rani slammed the breaks of the car, which she had gratefully inherited from Sarah Jane, when she saw Luke's face pass the window. Seeing her in such a state of surprise, Sky peered out to see what she was gawping at. She smiled, with relief that her brother had been found so quickly.

"Luke!" Rani screamed, jumping out of the vehicle once it was parked on the kerb.  
Luke parted from Bronwyn and Aaron's side to greet his friend with a soft hug.  
"Seraphine," he said, loosening from the embrace. "We need to stop her. She's been lying to us, and she has Clyde. I don't know exactly what she wants, but it's not for the better, that's for sure."  
Rani nodded. "Yes, Luke," she remarked. "We've been sent on a wild goose chase to find Fire Spirits. Appears they hadn't returned at all." Peering up, Rani only just realised that Bronwyn and Aaron were watching from further up the pavement. "Do they know?" she asked, in a failed attempt at a whisper.

Bronwyn stepped forward. "We do, Luke filled us in when we uncovered him from our garage," she promulgated, tugging at her fringe which blew in the wind.  
"Aliens, you really are having a laugh," Aaron chided. "This feels like some kind of spin-off from a geeky, famous sci-fi program that was recently brought back to life from the late 1900's."  
Bronwyn gave him a thump in the leg with her fist, causing him to crouch in pain. "Stop it," she told him firmly through gritted teeth, then turned her attention back to the kids. "Seraphine's a strange mixture between a computer and a crystalline alien, who's going to wipe out the human race, meaning hers can survive. Really?"  
Luke realised he wasn't as patient with newcomers since his mother's passing, yet there was no time to grumble. "That's right."  
"Gee whiz," Bronwyn muttered.  
"Then by what degree is she going to do it with just a mysterious hunk of junk in our carport?" Aaron enquired.  
Luke let a smile slip. "Decided to get into it, have we?" He gibed. "Good question. That is what we need to work out..." He felt a sudden, hard tap on the shoulder.

"It's my fault."

Rani sighed, staring directly at the concrete of the road to avoid eye contact. "Seraphine wanted me to get something for her... what was it called again? The... ISPACT, I think? Something like that," she let her pupils lift to the upper surface again, facing the group whom listened in silence to what she had to say. "From the PHAROS Institute. I - I stole it."

The others stared in utter shock, not believing their ears. Why would Rani steal? Surely someone raised in such a civilised manner would not dare do such a thing!

"Well, we were all under the illusion that the Fire Spirits had come back for us," she continued, her throat dry. "Seraphine told me that it would help deter them once and for all. I was only trying to help... but now we are aware of the truth, she's going to use it somehow to kill everyone. I can never do anything right!" A tear rolled down from the schoolgirl's eye. "Clyde... she's got Clyde..."  
Luke patted her back affectionately. "Everybody makes mistakes, Rani. We'll overcome this. Remember what Mum used to say - the last thing we do is panic. There are two types of people: those who panic, then there's us. Now... I think you mean the ESPAC device, right?"  
Rani sniffed. "That's right."  
Luke's eyes widened, but she tried not to open them too wide, as that would make Rani feel even more bad than she already did. "The ESPAC is incredibly dangerous. Mr Smith showed me an article on it the other week when I was studying UNIT's recent activity..."  
"Do you think Mr Smith's involved?" Rani chipped in.  
Luke bit his lip. "I very much doubt it," he murmured. "It's not questionable that him and Seraphine must have slightly lost their chemistry from not being around each other since the Victorian age. Sure, they claim it's still strong. But I noticed if you pay close attention, Mr Smith really can't control Seraphine. Besides, he knows he needs to protect the Earth under no matter what circumstances, he would want to put an end to Seraphine's plan, I'm most sure."

Brownyn raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued by the conversation. "Who's this Mr Smith then?" she cooed.  
Aaron smirked.  
Luke rolled his eyes. "He's a Xylok. Like Seraphine," he explained. "Extraterrestrial supercomputer in the attic, behind the chimney. Oh, and he's Seraphine's dad." Luke went a scarlet red. "It's not what you think," he hastily added. "We still haven't got a clue who her mother is. Mum called him that for convenience. At least... I think... You know what? Never mind." After his feeling of embarrassment, he quickly pulled himself together again, returning to the original subject they were discussing. "ESPAC stands for Earthquake Simulation and Plate Advantage Contrivance. It requires a very powerful electrical source to activate. As the name suggests, it triggers earthquakes... meaning with a source powerful enough, it could shift all of Earth's tectonic plates, cracking the planet apart."  
Rani folded her arms, taking a moment to think. "Well... do we have anything like that?"

After a few seconds, the members of the The Infinite Circle felt their blood run cold. They could feel the sour taste of fear choke them, as the realisation hit. Now that, was pretty painful.  
Luke glared back at the parked car. There was nobody there. But there was meant to be - they'd forgotten. He cried at the top of her lungs, his weeps of lament circulating the atmosphere.

"SKY!"

Chaos was about to break loose.


End file.
